Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

  Bananas are the world’s No.4 dietary staple after rice, wheat and corn. Hundreds of millions of people eat them. They are the most widely eaten fruit in the United States (Americans eat 26 pounds of them a years, compared to 16 pounds of apples, the No.2 fruit). More importantly they are a major source of food and staple of people in tropical areas and the developing world. Of the nearly 80 million tons of bananas produced around the world less than 20 percent are exported. The rest are eaten locally. There are many places in sub-Sahara Africa where people eat bananas and little else. According to Islamic tradition the banana is the food of paradise. Bananas, known by the scientific name “Musa sapientum” , are rich in vitamins A, B, C and G. Although they are 75 percent water they also contain alkali-forming minerals, lots of potassium, natural sugars, protein and little fat. They are easy to digest and the food of choice of many professional athletes when they are competing because they provide quick energy and provide potassium lost during exercise. Bananas that are eaten raw ripe are called desert bananas; those that are cooked are called plantains. Ripe yellow bananas are 1 percent starch and 21 percent sugar. They are easier to digest than green bananas, which are 22 percent starch and 1 percent sugar. Green bananas are sometimes gassed to make them yellow prematurely.